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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W, JOHNS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

NON-CONDUCTING MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,834, dated May 17, 1892. Application filed January 29, 1892. Serial No. 419,702. (No specimens.)

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. JOHNS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Non-Conducting Material, of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates to a new and useful non-conducting material for covering steamboilers, pipes, and heated surfaces generally; also, as a filling for the walls of safes, refrigerators, buildings, &c.; and it consists in combining asbestus fiber, hair, and comminuted, shredded, or otherwise disintegrated sponge.

My present invention is an outgrowth of a series of inventions heretofore patented by me in other United States Letters Patent, which need not here be stated, in which I avail myself of my discovery that there is a peculiar affinity between the fibers of ashestus and sponge-in other words, that the tentacle-like barbs of the sponge catch hold of and retain with considerable tenacity the fibers of asbestus, so that when these two substances are brought together they may be formed into sheets, wadding, or felt-like products which possess considerable strength and may be handled and manipulated without. injury. Under my present invention I employ this discovery in the manufacture of a felt or nonconducting material composed of asbestus, sponge, and hair, which is superior to all thers for similar purposes known to me for the following reasons:

First. Hair felt is a valuable non-conductor; but it soon becomes charred and worthless when in contact with heated surfaces, particularly where high-pressure steam is used; but by the addition of sponge and asbestus it retains its life and strength for a long time.

Second. Asbestus fiber and hair when felted or matted together do not adhere ver well, the felt or product being liable to split into separate layers. It is also coinparativelydense. By adding, however, a proper proportion of fine shreds or particles of sponge the product becomes a light homogeneous mass, felt, or sheet, its constituent parts being held together more firmly by means of the binding properties of the sponge. Consequently the product, whatever its form, is prevented from splitting.

Third. On account of its great porosity the sponge very greatly increases the non-conducting qualities of the fabric, and at the same time reduces its cost and weight, as sponge is very inexpensive, considering its bulk or filling capacity, and it also renders the fabric very'elastic and compressible, which are very desirable qualities in non-conducting coverings.

In addition totheir non-conducting properties, each of the three materials of which my new fabric is essentially composed possesses specially valuable qualities. The asbestus supplies the fire-proof quality, the sponge gives.

porosity and elasticity and binds the hair and asbestus together, and is also measurably fireproof, and the hair gives strength and body to the fabric.

My improved covering maybe made in various ways; but I have found that the ordinary felting process is a satisfactory one. The asbestus is first fibered and the sponge reduced to a finely-divided condition, preferably by shredding in a picker or otherwise, and then the three component parts, each in loose and fibered condition, are felted together; or they may be pulped and then made into a sheet or other form in any preferred manner. For special purposes an adhesive material or sizing, preferably but not necessarily of a non-inflammable charactersuch as silicate of soda-may be employed in conjunction with the process of manufacture or afterward, or as a surface application to more securely bind the product together, and in some cases to stiffen the product and to hold it in such form as may be desired. I prefer to sprinkle it upon the loose material during the felting operation, or if the pulping process be employed then I mix the adhesive material with the others in the vat. For a surface applica tion it may be applied by sprinkling or by rollers, or in any other preferred manner.

Disinfecting and insect-destroying materials may be combined with the other material, if desired, whereby the product will be made specially useful for building purposes, for linings for refrigerators, or other like uses.

It is obvious that my products may be made in the form of asheet of wadding, and that its thickness may be such as desired, and that it may be given any practicable contour-as, for instance, a cylindrical or shape for pipe-cow eringsorit may be used in mass-as, for in- 3. Non-conducting material composed, esstance, in walls of buildings or between the sentially, of hair, asbestus, and sponge, and linings of safes or refrigerators and the outer disinfecting or insect-destroying material, shell of such structures. substantially as 'set forth. I 5 5 Having described my invent-ion, I claim Signed at New York, in the county of New 1. Non-conducting material composed, es- York and State of New York, this 28th day of sentially, of hair, asbestus, and sponge, sub- January, A. D. 1892.

stantially as set forth. HENRY W. JOHNS.

2. Non-conducting material composed, es- Witnesses: 1o sent-ially, of hair, asbestus, and sponge, and an PHILLIPS ABBOTT,

adhesive material, substantially as set forth. J. E. HOFFMAN. 

